God exalted be He says Then one of the two women came to him walking bashfully — in other words covering her face with the sleeve of her shirt being shy of him — and said ‘My father invites you that he may pay you a wage for watering our flock for us’. He accepted her invitation while inwardly he disapproved of accepting any wage for it was as though she sought to remunerate him and as though he were of those who would want it which he was not. She walked in front of him but when the wind began to blow off her dress and reveal her legs he said to her ‘Walk behind me and show me the way’ which she did. Finally he came to her father Shu‘ayb peace be upon him who was sitting with some supper in front of him. He said to him ‘Sit and have some supper’. He Moses said ‘I hope that this is not some sort of compensation for having watered their flock for them? For we are People of a House and do not demand compensation for good deeds’. He Shu‘ayb said ‘No. It is simply a custom of mine and of my forefathers to be hospitable to guests and to offer them food’. Thus he Moses ate and informed him of his predicament. God exalted be He says So when he came to him and recounted to him the story al-qasas is a verbal noun with the sense of al-maqsūs ‘that which is recounted’ of his slaying of the Egyptian and their intention to slay him and his fear of Pharaoh he their father said ‘Do not be afraid. You have escaped from the evildoing people’ as Pharaoh had no authority over Midian.
